Changing Salaries, Changing Minds: Examining the Merits of Merit Pay

Joshua Barnett, Roger Opneshaw

Abstract

Policymakers across the globe are actively seeking reforms that lead to improved student performance. One reform gaining momentum is the usage of merit pay for educators who are able to increase performance on standardized measures. However, educators’ voices are often missing from the discussion, as policies are put onto them rather than determined with them. The present paper examines the historical landscape in one country, infuses the growing international literature on merit pay into the conversation, and makes recommendations for those considering the inclusion or creation of such pay for performance models and how educators can help shape the policies.